Benitez voiced frustration at not being able to meet Broughton, who is also the chairman of British Airways, in person although the reasons for the delay became clearer yesterday.

No one at Liverpool would comment, but it is thought two proposed meetings were postponed after clashing with first-team matters.

Talks are set to take place prior to Sunday’s game with Hull with the outcome determining if Benitez stays or leaves, with Juve keen to recruit him.

As a non-executive director, Broughton is unlikely to be able to offer Benitez reassurances alone and will have to speak to the rest of the board, including owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, chief executive Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre.

Liverpool will not stand in Benitez’s way if he opts to move to Italy, but whether the club’s hierarchy has the will to sack him if he steps back from the brink remains to be seen. “He has a meeting with the chairman this week, and from what I can say Rafael Benitez wants to continue at Liverpool,” said his agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon.

“Benitez needs to know what the plans are for the future, for the investment into players. That is going to be important.

“I have not made any agreement with Juventus. He has four years left of his contract [with Liverpool].

“If there is going to be any change that is something you had better ask him directly.”